Main menu

Post navigation

Interview Questions, Continued

Doostang has yet another list of tough interview questions. Last week I posted three of them and I’d like to start this week off with another set of answers that will hopefully help you land your next big job!

Why did you leave your last position? These days, the answer to this may be easy. You didn’t leave, but unfortunately due to the economy your position had to be eliminated. The question is usually followed up with, “What did you like least about your job?” It may seem like BS but there really wasn’t anything that I disliked. Had the economy been good I would have stayed at my previous job as I was allowed to take part in a number of marketing activities and I never got bored!

Why haven’t you found a job yet? I haven’t heard this one before but I’m glad it’s listed on Doostang’s list. I would have easily been caught off guard if I was asked this during an interview. The easy answer here again is, there are roughly 10 applicants for every job. As I heard more recently, there were about 90 resumes one hiring manager had to look at before deciding on the top people he would consider for 1st round interviews. If you are trying to beat out even 50 people each time you apply to a job, then your chances are very slim. We can apply to as many jobs as possible and just hope for the best. You should also take this time to mention that you haven’t just been sitting around and instead have been learning new skills and taking classes to stay on top of your game.

Has your performance or work ever been criticized? I think I’ve only heard this one a couple of times. It’s good to know now how I should answer this question if I am asked about it again. Instead of saying that you were simply marked down or criticized for anything, talk about how you handled and came out of that situation.

4 thoughts on “Interview Questions, Continued”

I like these ones – definitely questions one should expect these days. The last one, especially – “criticized” doesn’t necessarily mean “looked down upon.” I think one could also answer by talking about his or her focus on the results, and although sometimes the process (which is what might actually be criticized) may be unorthodox, you can always justify the means by the result. In my experience, criticisms have come while I’m working (pre-result), but once I turn out great work, my peers have never second guessed how I got there.